Sweden forward Niklas Backstrom / Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune

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SOCHI, RUSSIA — Team Sweden eviscerated the International Olympic Committee after claiming the silver medal game today at the Sochi Games.

Sweden lost, 3-0, to Canada at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Sweden found out two hours before the game that Nicklas Backstrom, the most creative forward on the team, could not play because of a drug violation over an allergy medication Backstrom has taken for seven years.

“The IOC has destroyed one of the great days in Swedish hockey history,” Sweden general manager Tommy Boustedt said.

Backstrom, who looked near tears, said, “It was shocking to me I have absolutely nothing to hide. I’ve had allergy problems for several years.”

“I was ready to play probably the biggest game of my career, and 2˝ hrs before game I got pulled aside. It’s sad.”

Sweden was furious that although Backstrom was tested Wednesday, the news was delivered four days later. Marts claimed teams are supposed to get an answer sooner. The news struck hard at the Swedes, who already were without star playmakers Henrik Zetterberg and Henrik Sedin. Marts and his staff had to scramble to sort out new lines because of the lateness of the news.

“There are rules they are going to follow and they didn’t,” Marts said. “There are certain rules how things should go, and they didn’t. And it’s the final. They have to follow the procedures, but they didn’t.”

Sweden defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said the news stunned players.

“I heard he got called out for something and we didn’t know what it was and then all of a sudden we hear that we don’t know if he can play,” Ericsson said. “We talked about it just briefly, like for 20 seconds, nothing we can control — if he comes back, he comes back, otherwise we have to deal with it the best we can. But for us to lose him was pretty bad.”